I find it ironic that some San Fernando Valley residents, politicians and news media are criticizing the MTA's inability to build rail in the Valley. The MTA and its predecessor agency, the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority, have tried for 13 years to find some rail project that is acceptable to the Valley. Everything proposed is quickly opposed by one group or another. As director of rail planning for the LACTC [Los Angeles County Transportation Commission] during the 1980s, I was involved in planning rail in the Valley for six years.

I would like to compliment Stephen Braun on his unbiased article, covering the "Grand Reopening of 7th Street" (Metro, Nov. 20). As a public affairs officer for the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC), I know how the impact of rail construction can disrupt businesses. But I would like to reiterate that since the LACTC took over the Metro Rail project from RTD, it has been our goal to address the concerns of the community--expeditiously and professionally. We at the commission hope to continue to uphold our track record as each phase of the Metro Rail project is completed.

What in the world can the board of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) possibly be thinking to negotiate for space in the proposed Watt building next to the Harbor Freeway? The LACTC is supposed to be dedicated to reducing vehicular congestion and air pollution through support for the emerging non-automotive transit system. According to the Watt building EIR, relocation to that building will be contributing to more than 15,000 vehicle trips per day. The Watt building will be located directly next to the Harbor Freeway.

A May 5 article concerning the routing of Metro Rail quoted me, but the quote did not reflect the extent of my concerns regarding the routing of Metro Rail. The city of West Hollywood is home to two of the most heavily traveled and congested streets in Southern California: Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. In addition, we have large numbers of seniors and recent immigrants who are heavily dependent on public transit. Despite this, the proposed route for Metro Rail makes no provisions to serve our residents.

Award of the Blue Line policing contract to the Sheriff's Department was viewed by many as a slap in the Transit Police Department's face for good reason, but not the reason suspected by The Times in your editorial, "How to Police the L.A. Subway" (Nov. 14). This was no ordinary slap in the face or "unfortunate controversy" as The Times has delicately labeled it. The Transit Police Department was twice rebuffed by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC). It was particularly nasty the way the LACTC reinforced the expectations that the Transit Police Department would be awarded the Blue Line contract.

In response to "Aviation Authorities Fear Hazard From Metro Line" (Metro, June 26): What about a subway under Los Angeles International Airport to eliminate the navigational hazards as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Airports suggest? The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) in an environmental impact report (EIR) two years ago rejected a 1 1/2-mile subway under the airport as "too expensive" at a cost of $250 million. Officials offered instead, for $125 million, to put a station at Parking Lot C, where passengers could offload themselves with baggage into a shuttle bus that would take them around to the airline terminals.

As president of a homeowners association of residents living near the Blue Line in Long Beach, I am questioning Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley's statement in his Jan. 14 article (Commentary) that "experience would give Sumitomo the upper hand in any bid relying on non-automated Blue Line technology." It is obvious he didn't do his homework. Sumitomo built portions of the Blue Line and we, the residents living along the line, must tolerate their mistakes 228 times each day! The noise each train produces is equivalent to a small jet taking off. As a result, our home values have dropped over $200,000.

Your editorial of Jan. 24 takes certain politicians to task for awakening an anti-Japan feeling in this community in connection with the controversy over the Green Line contract award to the Sumitomo Corp. In fact, you cite the "never again" comments that I made at a rally as an example. First, I want to dispose of the "never again" comment. Your reporter did not quote the full sentence in which I uttered those words. In fact, the manner in which her story was written suggested that my comment had some reference to Pearl Harbor.

Meeting for the first time Thursday, the county's newly formed transit mega-agency selected Franklin White, New York state's transportation commissioner, as its first chief executive officer to oversee the region's $183-billion, 400-mile rail and bus network.

Award of the Blue Line policing contract to the Sheriff's Department was viewed by many as a slap in the Transit Police Department's face for good reason, but not the reason suspected by The Times in your editorial, "How to Police the L.A. Subway" (Nov. 14). This was no ordinary slap in the face or "unfortunate controversy" as The Times has delicately labeled it. The Transit Police Department was twice rebuffed by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC). It was particularly nasty the way the LACTC reinforced the expectations that the Transit Police Department would be awarded the Blue Line contract.

The Rail Construction Corp. board Monday agreed to pay $9.5 million to Tutor-Saliba/Groves to settle $39.2 million in claims sought by the Sylmar-based joint venture for alleged design flaws on the Civic Center subway station and adjoining tunnels. The settlement, which must be approved by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, would raise the cost of this particular Metro Red Line subway station and tunnel contract to $89 million--nearly 45% above Tutor's original $61.5-million bid.

Metrolink shook off its first crisis Friday as the Catellus Development Corp. and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission agreed on sharing maintenance costs at Union Station, assuring that the regional commuter train service will operate as scheduled next week. Catellus, a San Francisco-based real estate company that acquired Union Station three years ago, had threatened Wednesday to deny Metrolink riders access to its platforms next Monday.

Bowing to a request from Orange County officials, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission has decided to stop calling its east-west subway the Orange Line. By dropping orange from its palette of rail lines, the LACTC has made it possible for its counterpart in Santa Ana--the Orange County Transportation Authority--to use it for an elevated rail line proposed to run across Orange County.

Bus riders were at least temporarily spared higher fares and reduced services when county transit officials agreed Wednesday to cover about half of the Southern California Rapid Transit District's $117.4-million budget shortfall and seek new ways to close the rest of the gap. The agreement resulted from a compromise proposed by Mayor Tom Bradley and passed unanimously by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission board.

Bus riders were at least temporarily spared higher fares and reduced services when county transit officials agreed Wednesday to cover about half of the Southern California Rapid Transit District's $117.4-million budget shortfall and seek new ways to close the rest of the gap. The agreement resulted from a compromise proposed by Mayor Tom Bradley and passed unanimously by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission board.

Walter J. Karabian, a politically well-connected former state assemblyman, has been hired to guide the merger of the region's two giant transportation agencies despite complaints from some quarters that a transportation expert would be better suited for the job. Karabian was chosen this week as facilitator for the January merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.